If you want to do North Point before the campground opens, you most likely will have to park at Schutt Road. You can walk in either through the gate on the road (they don't plow in winter, but I'm sure it's hikable by now) or on the old rail grade. Or you can get the yellow Rock Shelter trail just outside the gate, across Route 18 from the Schutt Road turnoff.

If you haven't been in there before, I really recommend hiking the Escarpment at least one way. You don't need to do the whole loop, pick up the trail at the Mountain House site and take it north. You can come back on the Rock Shelter trail, but I recommend Mary's Glen so that you can also check out the waterfalls.

The shortest route in from Schutt would be Rock Shelter-Mary's Glen-Escarpment (1.3 + 0.8 + 0.25 = 2.35 miles each way), but that misses the waterfalls and all the lovely views off the Escarpment except for North Point itself. I'd recommend walking either the paved road or the old rail grade down to the Mountain House site (a couple of miles, I don't have this one in my tables), Escarpment Trail to North Point (3.05 miles), back to the campground via Mary's Glen trail (1.6 miles, and about a mile back to your car from there. That would be a total distance of about eight miles for the day (add another half mile or so if you do Bear's Den). The three-mile difference between that and the shortest route gets you two pretty waterfalls and an unbelievable set of views over the Hudson Valley, some of them looking from New Hampshire to Connecticut. All the hiking is pretty easy except for that last quarter-mile up to North Point.

If the campground is open, you can make a shorter day of it by parking in the day use area at the east end of North Lake. The Escarpment Trail goes right through that parking lot. It's a quarter-mile south to the Mountain House site, 2.8 miles north to North Point, and maybe a mile to the Mary's Glen trailhead. But if memory serves, it doesn't open until Memorial Day weekend.

Mary's Glen and Rock Shelter trails will be very, very wet this time of year. Even in a dry season, Mary's Glen Trail can be a stream. It has steppingstones for most of the wet section, but wear waterproof boots and gaiters, or be prepared for wet feet.

If you don't have it, pick up New York-New Jersey Trail Conference map #141, "Northeastern Catskill Trails." That has an inset with a detailed map of the trails between 23A and North Point (The rest of the map covers from the Devil's Path and Overlook Mountain in the south to Windham High Peak in the north, with another inset covering the Long Path as far as Huntersfield.)

Kevin did a good job describing the mileage. Figure six miles round trip. I like to hike down the Eastern Escarpment from North Point. Incredible experience. But, if you are out of shape, it might be a bit much.

right now the trail is covered in snow. But, by the end of April, it should be completely clear.